Electrically operated lighting system for vehicles



Sept. 3, 1935. B. s. T. FRIIS 2,013,044

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES Filed Jan. 26, 1935 6 Ems Tm;

:L Ill 47 Patented Sept. 3, 1935 PATIENT OFFICE ELECTRICALLY OPERATED LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES ,Bjiirn S. T. Friis, Cambridge, Massa-assignor of one-half to Edmund Henry, Melrose, and onehalf to Joseph H. seamam Bostan iMass.

Application January 26, 193's, Serial No. 653,680

9Claims.

This invention relates generally to electrically operated lighting systems for vehicles, and particularly to electrically operated lighting systems for motor vehicles. Such an electrically operated lighting system commonly comprises a set of electric lighting lamps of considerable illuminating power, hereinafter termed headlights, used for illuminating the road during the operation of the motor vehicle thereon, and a set of electric lighting lamps of lesser illuminating power, hereinafter termed dimmer-lights, used for illuminating the motor vehicle to disclose its position when and while parked.

Today, in most localities, legal regulations governing the use of motor vehicles require the lighting of the dimmer-lights of parked cars at and after certain hours of the day, so that the operator of a motor vehicle who is for any reaunable to attend to the lighting of the dimmer-lights at the proper time is obliged either tolight the dimmer-lights before their use is required, thus subjecting the lighting system to unnecessary wear, or to violate the'legal regulations.

It is the object of this invention to provide for electrically operated lighting systems for vehicles suitable means for eifecting automaticallyv the lighting at predetermined times of the dimmerlights. Another object of this invention is to provide for electrically operated lighting systems for vehicles suitable means for effecting automatically the lighting at predetermined times of the dimmer-lights which will not interfere with the normal operation of the dimmer-lights and the head-lights. Another object of this invention is to provide for electrically operated lighting systems for vehicles suitable means for efl'ecting automatically the lighting at predetermined times of the dimmer-lights, and for effecting the extinguishing of the dimmer-lights simultaneously with and by the effecting of the lighting of the head-lights.

All of these objects are realized by the use of the present invention whose description and mode of operation are set forth in.the remainder of this specification and which is illustrated by the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1a is an elevation'of the means for regulating automatically the lighting at predetermined times of the dimmer-lights;

'-Fig. lb is a diagrammatic view of the means for efiecting automatically the lighting-mt predetermined times of the dimmer iights and for effecting the extinguishing of the dimmer-lights simultaneously with and by the effecting of the lighting of the head-lights;

Fig. 2 isa side view of a detail of Fig. 1a;

Fig. 3 is a view of a detail of Fig. 1b as seen from below: and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the scheme of wiring connecting the various elements of the electrically operated lighting system.

In Fig. 1a, I represents the casing of a chronometiic device whose construction forms no part of this invention. The casing I is connected to one terminal of the source of electrical energy either directly by wire, or, when possible, by connecting the casing and one terminal of the source of electrical energy to the metallic frame of the vehicle as is shown in the drawing wherein the casing I and one terminal-of the battery 2 are grounded to the frame. Upon the casing I is mounted pivotally at 3 the member 4 formed at one end into a hook adapted to cooperate engagingly with means borne by member 5. The member 5, mounted pivotally at 6 upon the casing I, is provided at one end with the spring-actuated pawl I and its stop, and is pivotally connected at 8 to the member 9. Member 9 is capable of movement longitudinally through the sleeve l mounted upon the casing I, being limited in its longitudinal movements by the stop'II carried by the member 9 and by the stop I2 mounted upon the casing I. The member 9 is provided with the knob I3 for manual manipulation and. carries the spring-actuated pawl I4 and stop. Pivotally mounted at I upon the casing I is a spring actuated pawl It made of insulating mate- 35 rial and provided with an electrically conducting inner surface as shown at IT in Fig. 2. This electrically conducting surface is fixedly contacted with the actuating spring of the pawl while the other end of the spring is fixed to the block of insulating material I8 mounted upon the casing I.

Supporting the member 4 is a cam I9 whose angular position can be adjusted in relation to the mechanism of the chronometric device in a manner similar to the relation of the alarm mechanism to the chronometric mechanism in the common alarm clock, so that the cam can be adjusted to release at any predetermined time the member 5 from engagement with the member 4. Suitable sprinm as shown are provided to maintain the member 4 at all times in contact with the cam surface and to actuate the member 5 when the member 5 is released from engagement with the member 4. When the present invention is used upon motor vehicles, the ensemble thus far described is mounted upon the instrument board.

Connection of the pawl actuating spring upon the block of insulating material l8 shown in Fig. la is made to the fine-wire coil of many turns shown in Fig. 1b. The coil 20 is in turn connected to a terminal of the two-way switch 2|. To the same terminal of the two-way switch 2| is connected a coarse-wire coil of few turns 22 which is in turn connected to a second terminal of the two-way switch 2 I. Connection is also made between a third terminal of the two-way switch 2| and terminal A of the second two-way switch 23, while terminal B of the second two-way switch 23 is connected to the head-lights 24. The two coils 20 and 22 are provided with soft iron cores which may be integrated as shown in the drawing, f orming therewith electromagnets.

An armature 25, common to these electromagnets, is rotatably pivoted at 26 insulated from the metallic frame of the motor vehicle, bears an adjustable contact point 21, and is provided with an arm 28 which cooperates with the adjusted insulated flexible member 29 in the manner shown in Fig. 3 to insure positive displacement either clockwise or counter-clockwise. Connection is made between the armature and the first terminal of the two-way switch 2|. By clockwise rotation of the armature 25, contact is made between the contact point 21 and a second contact point 30 carried by the second flexible member 3| mounted upon a block of insulating material 32. The second flexible member 3| is connected to the terminal of the second two-way switch 23 which is in turn connected to the dimmer-lights 33. The second terminals of the dimmer-lights and of the head-lights are connected to one terminal of the source of electrical energy as shown in the drawing, by grounding them to the metallic frame of the motor vehicle, while the second terminal of the source of electrical energy, the battery 2, is connected to a fourth terminal of the two-way switch 2|. Two additional short-circuited terminals are provided in the two-way switch 2| for a purpose later designated.

The operation of this lighting system is as follows:

With the two-way switch 2| closed as is indicated by the dotted lines and no contact made between the contact points 21 and 30, the dimmerlights 33 may be lighted by connecting the terminals A and C of the secondtwo-way switch 23; or the head-lights 24 may be lighted by connecting the terminals A and B of the second two-way switch 23. For efiecting the lighting at a predetermined time of the dimmer-lights 33, all connections through the second two-way switch 23 are broken, the cam I9 is adjusted in relation to the chronometric device to release at the predetermined time the member 5 from engagement with the member 4. The member 5 is then engaged with the member by moving the member 9 to the right as far as it will go. Upon the arrival of the'predetermined time, the member 5 becomes disengaged from member 4 and is moved to the left by its actuating spring, causing transient contact to be made between the pawl l4 and the electrically conducting surface I! of the pawl I6 thus permitting the momentary flow of currentthrough the coil 20 energizing the electroniagnet which causes clockwise rotation of the armature 25 and the contacting of the contact points 21 and 30 thus closing the dimmer-light circuit. It now, in the second two-way switch 23, the terminals A and B are connectedthe second electromagnet 22 is energized and causes counterclockwise rotation of the armature 25 and the opening of the dimmer-light circuit simultaneously with the lighting of the head-lights 24. Although the head-light circuit comprises the second coil 22, the loss of electrical energy by the flow of the current therethrough is very small since the resistance of the coil is low.

The supplementary short-circuited terminals shown in the two-way switch 2| permit the use of the head-light and of the dimmer-light circuits independently of the present invention.

It is to be understood that changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of the invention within the scope of the appended claims are permissible without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that the breadth of the invention is to be measured by the breadth of the claims.

Having thus described specifically my invention, I claim:

1. An electrically operated lighting system for vehicles comprising a source of electrical energy, a dimmer-light circuit comprising switch-means, a second circuit comprising electromagnetic means operating the said switch-means to close the dimmer-light circuit and a second switch-' means mechanically actuated and chronometrically controlled for closing the second circuit at a predetermined time, and a head-light circuit comprising a second electromagnetic means operating the dimmer-light circuit switch-means to open the dimmer-light circuit.

2. An electrically operated lighting system for vehicles comprising a source of electrical energy, a dimmer-light circuit comprising switch-means, a second circuit comprising electromagnetic means operating the said switch-means to close the dimmer-light circuit and a second switch means mechanicallyactuated for closing transiently the second circuit, and a head-light circuit comprising a-second electromagnetic means operating the dimmer-light circuit switch-means to open the dimmer-light circuit.

3. An electrically operated lighting system for vehicles comprising a source of electrical energy, a dimmer-light circuit comprising a pivoted armature and a contact therefor adapted to serve as switch-means, a second circuit comprising an electromagnet adapted to actuate the said armature to close the dimmer-light circuit and a second switch-means mechanically actuated and chronometrically controlled for closing the second circuit at a predetermined time, and a headlight circuit comprising a second electromagnet adapted to actuate the said armature to open the dimmer-light circuit.

4. An electrically operated lighting system for vehicles comprising a source of electrical energy, a dimmer-light circuit comprising a pivoted armature and a contact therefor adapted to serve as switchmeans, a second circuit comprising an electromagnet adapted to actuate the said arma ture to close the dimmer-light circuit and a second-switch means mechanically actuated for closing transiently the second circuit, and a headlight circuit comprising a second electromagnet adapted to actuate the said armature to open the dimmer-light circuit.

5. In an electrically operated lighting system for vehicles comprising a source of electrical energy, the combination, in parallel, of a dimmer-light circuit comprising in series dimmer lamps and switch-means and a second circuit comprising in series electromagnetic means onerating to actuate positively the said switchmeans to close the dimmer-light circuit and a second switch-means comprising a fixed contact, a movable contact adapted to make transient connection with the fixed contact, mechanical means for actuating the movable contact to eflect such transient contact, means for engaging under mechanical stress the movable contact, and means chronometrically controlled for releasing the said engaging means at a predetermined time to close the second circuit.

6. In an electrically operated lighting system for vehicles, comprising a source of electrical energy, the combination, in parallel, of a dimmer-light circuit comprising in series dimmer lamps and switch-means and a second circuit comprising in series electromagnetic means operating to actuate positively the said switchmeans to close the dimmer-light circuit and a second switch-means comprising a fixed contact, a movable member bearing a contact adapted to make transient connection with the fixed contact, a second member rotatable about a pivot fixed in relation to the fixed contact and pivoted to the movable member, spring-means for actuating rotatably the second member, an engaging member rotatable about a second pivot fixed in relation to the fixed contact and provided with engaging means adapted to engage the second member under the stress of the spring-means, a second spring-means for maintaining the engaging member in engagement with the second member, and cam means mechanically actuated and chronometrically controlled for actuating rotatably the engaging member to release from engagement the second member at a predetermined time to close the second circuit.

'7. In an electrically operated lighting system for vehicles comprising a source of electrical energy, the combination, in parallel, of a dimmerlight circuit comprising in series dimmer lamps and a pivoted armature and a contact therefor adapted to serve as switch-means and a second circuit comprising in series an electromagnet adapted to actuate positively the said armature to close the dimmer-light circuit and a second switch-means released and actuated mechanically after manual setting thereof for closing transiently the second circuit.

8. In an electrically operated lighting system for vehicles comprising a source of electrical energy, the combination, in parallel, of a dimmerlight circuit comprising in series dimmer lights and switch-means and a head-light circuit comprising in series head-light lamps and electromagnetic means operating positively the said switch-means to open the dimmer-light circuit.

9. In an electrically operated lighting system for vehicles comprising a source of electrical energy, the combination, in parallel, of a dimmerlight circuit comprising in series dimmer lamps and a pivoted armature and a contact therefor adapted to serve as switch-means and a headlight circuit comprising in series head-light lamps and an electromagnet adapted to actuate positively the said armature to open the dimmerlight circuit.

BJGRN S. T. FRIIS. 

